AEW Dynamite – “New Year’s Smash”
December 29th, 2021
Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, FL
Commentary: Jim Ross, Excalibur & Tony Schiavone
Welcome Back, JR
Jim Ross gets an entrance and a huge reaction as he’s welcomed back to the commentary booth.
Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus), Christian Cage & Lucha Bros. (Penta El Zero M & Rey Fenix) (w/ Alex Abrahantes) vs. FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) (w/ Tully Blanchard), Matt Hardy & Private Party (Marq Quen & Isiah Kassidy) (w/ The Blade & Jora Johl)
Christian Cage and Cash Wheeler start the match, with Wheeler starting in control. Christian fights off both FTR, before tagging in Jungle Boy and taking out Wheeler. Dax Harwood comes in as he and Jungle Boy trade-off chops in the corner. Jungle Boy takes Harwood down with a couple of back elbows before Harwood ends up in his corner and gets punched by all the babyfaces. Christian and Harwood go at it, with Christian getting a big reaction from the crowd as he stands on Harwood’s back and snaps him on the ropes. Jungle Boy comes in and puts on the Snare Trap, but Wheeler breaks it up. Lucha Bros and Private Party go at it until Jungle Boy comes back in and fights off Private Party. Marq Quen hits a hurricanrana to Jungle Boy, right into a Side Effect by Matt Hardy for a two count. The heels work on Jungle Boy in their corner, as Wheeler distracts Aubrey Edwards. Penta tags in and takes out Private Party before Fenix comes in and they hit a double superkick on Harwood followed by a double DDT. Fenix hits a Senton Atomico on Quen but only gets a two. Fenix comes back with a moonsault to take out FTR, before tagging in Luchasaurus who gets a huge reaction his first time in tonight. Luchasaurus takes out all the heels with splashes in each other, before clotheslining Private Party out of the ring. Luchasaurus chokeslams Harwood, but Penta blind tags himself in showing dissension between the partners. Everybody starts fighting in and out of the ring, including Luchasaurus taking out The Blade and Jora Johl on the outside, as Fenix and Jungle Boy dive onto everybody on the outside. Back inside, Penta goes for the Fear Factor on Harwood, but Christian tags himself in. Penta and Christian start pushing each other, as FTR hits the Big Rig on Christian and Harwood gets the pin and the win.
Winners: FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler), Matt Hardy & Private Party (Marq Quen & Isiah Kassidy) by pinfall at 12:34
2point0 (Matt Lee & Jeff Parker) & Daniel Garcia vs. Eddie Kingston, Santana & Ortiz
Eddie Kingston and Matt Lee start the match, as Kingston gets cheap shotted while staring down Daniel Garcia. Kingston starts running right after Garcia, as all six men start brawling on the outside. Ortiz and Jeff Parker go at it before Santana comes in. Garcia comes in, but Santana and Ortiz take him out with a double-team DDT-like move for a two count. They start attacking Ortiz outside by the barricade, before keeping them in their corner and going to commercial.
When we come back, Garcia and Ortiz are going at it with Ortiz rolling up for a two-count, hitting a shotgun dropkick, and tagging in Kingston who takes out all three heels including a string of machine gun chops to Garcia. Santana tags in as he and Ortiz take out Lee with an atomic drop and a moonsault, but Lee puts his knees up and rolls up Santana with a roll-up while holding the tights for the pin.
Winners: 2point0 (Jeff Parker & Matt Lee) & Daniel Garcia by pinfall at 9:03
After the match, Daniel Garcia takes the ring bell as they take out Santana with it. ‘Judas’ hits as Chris Jericho runs out with a bat and takes out 2point0 and Daniel Garcia. Kingston and Ortiz look concerned as they look over Santana after the bell shot. Eddie Kingston gets in Jericho’s face and questions what he’s doing here, saying he doesn’t need his help. Jericho throws the bat down, but Ortiz tries to separate Jericho and Kingston.
Unsafe Working Conditions
We go to MJF who’s backstage with Wardlow and Shawn Spears, where MJF says today they will talk about ‘unsafe working conditions’, as last week he was thrown unsafely by Sting over the top rope and MJF says if he was working for a much more professional wrestling group this wouldn’t happen, but they will talk about that closer to The Bidding War of 2024. MJF says CM Punk stayed away from him the entire match, but he’s over that, as Punk is yesterday’s news. MJF says now they are focused on the AEW World Title and tells Wardlow that he needs to get wins and win the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match and when he wins the World Title, relinquish it to MJF. Wardlow is confused before MJF brings in ‘Smart’ Mark Sterling, who says the contract states that is what Wardlow has to do if he wins the title. MJF says starting next week he will start racking wins as well and win titles, as Wardlow looks at him confused.
Letting Go of the Past
Tony Schiavone is backstage with Lucha Bros. and questions what happened during the opening match, but Christian Cage interrupts and calls them ‘dipshits’ and says they should cut to the chase and have a Tag Team Championship match next week. Alex Abrahantes says that ‘Penta says’ that Christian is supposed to be a legend, but he can’t even be a good tag team partner, and maybe Jungle Boy should be the future and stop hanging out with the past, in Christian.
Wardlow (w/ Shawn Spears) vs. Colin Delaney
Excalibur questions if Delaney can stop Wardlow’s winning streak, but Wardlow just clotheslines Delaney down quickly followed by a powerbomb. The crowd chants for more, so Wardlow hits the second, the third, followed by a fourth, stands on Delaney’s chest, and gets the pin.
Winner: Wardlow by pinfall at 1:24
As Delaney is walking his way out, Shawn Spears smacks his back with a chair shot, before calling Wardlow to follow him to the back.
The Paragon
We go backstage where Adam Cole is with Kyle O’Reilly, Bobby Fish, and The Young Bucks, as Cole says they can go down as the biggest faction in wrestling history. Matt Jackson gets upset at Kyle not introducing himself yet, before Kyle asks for a moment alone with Cole, and even tells Fish to give them a moment. O’Reilly says they know they have heat, but this is AEW now and the key to surviving is factions and call themselves the Paragon of AEW. Kyle says he knows Fish has his back, and now it’s time to find out if Cole does as well.
Black Belt? I’m a Black Bitch
Dan Lambert is in the ring with the Men of the Year and starts talking down to Arn Anderson saying he used to be a ‘horsemen’ and now he’s a ‘whore’ and says Brandi Rhodes is the only Brandi he knows who isn’t a stripper. Ethan Page chimes in and says that isn’t ‘currently a stripper’ before Lambert makes a comment on Brandi getting old, very quick. Lambert moves on to Cody Rhodes and him getting a Transformers logo tattooed on his neck that even Mike Tyson calls stupid. Lambert mentions Rhodes cutting the line and putting a shit sandwich down everybody’s throat. Brandi Rhodes comes out and calls Lambert a less talented Paul Heyman. Lambert says he’d rather be Jim Cornette, and Brandi’s voice makes him rather get his balls stapled again by Chris Jericho. Brandi asks Lambert when the last time was that he got beat up by a woman without having to pay for it. Lambert calls her ‘Bambi’, saying he got his stripper names mixed up, says he has a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu and there isn’t a person who doesn’t want to slap her right now and it would be a privilege. Brandi comes back saying he might have a black belt, but she’s a ‘black bitch’, and smacks Lambert. Dustin Rhodes runs out, as Men of the Year hit him from behind and leave.
TBS Title Tournament Semi-Final Match: Jade Cargill (w/ Mark Sterling) vs. Thunder Rosa
Thunder Rosa comes out dressed like Wolverine, and as the match starts Jade heads to the outside and puts Sterling in front of her, as Rosa takes him out, before they start brawling by the barricade. Rosa jumps off the apron, but Jade catches her and hits her with a backbreaker. They fight a bit more to the outside before finally making their way back inside, where Rosa grabs Jade’s leg and hits a Dragon Screw on the ropes. Rosa slips off the ropes and gets hit with a boot from Jade as the head to commercial.
When we come back, Rosa is in control and hits a running dropkick to Jade in the corner. Jade comes back with a backbreaker, but her knee gives out. Rosa hits a knee breaker and puts on a figure four, but Jade stretches out and grabs the rope. Sterling gets on the apron and distracts the referee. Jade kicks Rosa into the corner, as a hooded woman comes in and smashes Rosa over the head with what looks to be glass. Jade hits Jaded and gets the pin and the win.
Winner: Jade Cargill by pinfall at 10:59, to advance
Mercedes Martinez
After the match, Jade and the hooded attacker continue to Rosa, revealing herself to be Mercedes Martinez. Ruby Soho runs out with a pipe and chases Mercedes and Jade away.
Punk’s Place
CM Punk comes out to a huge reaction, as it’s his first appearance at Daily’s Place, and sporting a brand new haircut. Punk mentions not even knowing where the set-up is and asks where Jim Ross is before saying how awesome it is seeing him back at the booth as he’s the best to ever do it. Punk talks about giving people their flowers and how Daily’s Place is the home of AEW. Punk brings up Brodie Lee and how his tribute show made him want to come here, and how there are internet trolls who never met Lee that would say terrible things. He moves on to MJF and how he’s been hiding behind FTR and running away, but says it was great that he got to team with Sting and Darby Allin. Punk brings up MJF saying he wants to be champion, and he also wants to be champion and this being the final TNT Dynamite, they are moving to bigger and better things on TBS. Punk mentions that MJF is a bigger waste of Khan money than Tim Tebow, which gets a big reaction from the crowd. Punk mentions that on this mic, in this ring, even on commentary, nobody could touch him and if MJF wants to get W’s, sooner or later they will meet in the ring, and it would be a shame if someone interfered during MJF’s quest for gold.
Round 2
Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs are backstage, where Starks thanks Jim Ross for coming back as that gives Taz more time to focus on Hook. Starks moves on to Dante Martin and what he did to Team Taz and mentions how the last time Martin fought Hobbs it didn’t end well for Martin. Hobbs questions if Martin really wants to go to Round 2 with him.
Sammy Guevara comes out as he has signs ready for the picture-in-picture that mention his New Year’s resolution is winning back the TNT Championship.
We see a quick video from Hikaru Shida where she accepts Serena Deeb’s challenge from last week.
Tony Schiavone is in the ring with Brian Pillman, Jr. who says last week his ‘brother’ Griff Garrison walked into the House of Black and has been hearing the bell ringing over and over again since. Pillman says that his memory went black after he got kicked and when he woke up, he was laying down next to the person he was trying to protect. Pillman says he’s been busting his ass since day one here in Jacksonville and says it’s his turn to take a trip to the House of Black. Pillman says if he learned anything from his dad, it’s that he only has one life and next week we’ll see a new Brian Pillman Jr. The lights go out and when they come black, we see Malakai Black, they go out again as Black disappears.
Rampage New Year’s Smash Line-Up
· AEW TNT Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Ethan Page
· Darby Allin vs. Anthony Bowens
· Technique by Taz on Hook
· Street Fight: Penelope Ford/The Bunny vs. Tay Conti/Anna Jay
Dynamite TBS Debut Line-Up
· AEW World Championship: Adam Page (c) vs. Bryan Danielson
· AEW TBS Championship Finals: Ruby Soho vs. Jade Cargill
· Malakai Black vs. Brian Pillman Jr.
· AEW Tag Team Championship: Lucha Brothers (Penta El Zero M & Rey Fenix) (c) vs. Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus)
Adam Cole, Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Best Friends (Trent Beretta & Chuck Taylor) & Orange Cassidy
O’Reilly and Taylor start the match as the crowd chants ‘Undisputed’. Beretta and O’Reilly go at it, before Cassidy and Fish tag in with Cassidy hitting his kicks, ducking a kick from Fish, and rolling him up for a two count. The Best Friends and Cassidy come in and take turns attacking Cole in the corner. Fish is able to trip Taylor off the apron as Cole follows and attacks him outside as they go to commercial.
When we come back, commentary mentions TNT giving them an overrun for tonight if needed. Trent powers out of a guillotine from O’Reilly and hits a tornado DDT for a two count. Fish and O’Reilly double-teamed Trent, including hitting a knee drop off the ropes for a two. Cassidy tags in and hits a cross body on Kyle followed by a suicide dive to Fish. Cassidy takes out Cole, but then gets suplexed down by Kyle and Fish, followed by the High/Low. Cole goes for the pin, but Taylor breaks it up. Cole and Taylor start brawling on the stage, where Cole calls for the Panama Sunrise but gets back body dropped instead, as Taylor takes out Fish and Kyle. Trent spears Cole and sends him back in the ring where Cassidy hits a top rope bulldog for a two count. Taylor and Trent hit back-to-back piledrivers on Cole, followed by the Beach Break by Cassidy, but Fish and Kyle broke up the pin. Orange catches Kyle’s foot, but Kyle is able to get out but knocks Cole off the apron by accident. Cassidy tags in Taylor, as he and Trent take out Fish with a Sole Food half and half combo. Brandon Cutler runs into the ring but gets taken out before the Young Bucks run in and hit superkicks on Taylor and Trent. Fish and O’Reilly hit Chasing the Dragon on Taylor as Kyle gets the pin.
Winners: Adam Cole, Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly by pinfall at 14:45
Adam Cole ends up leaving with Young Bucks and Brandon Cutler, as he is showing animosity from being hit by Kyle O’Reilly.
